The invention relates to a mold-closing unit for an injection molding machine for processing plastics, comprising a mold-moving device for moving the movable mold support into and out of closure of an injection mold. At least one force transmission element is connected to the movable mold support and at its end remote from the movable mold support has a section (14a) which is assigned to the stationary mold support. The stationary mold support (10) is assigned a locking device (15) having a plurality of locking elements (70) which can be moved into interlocking operative connection with the actuatable section (14a). The locking device (15) has at least one actuator (16) which is movable in the closing direction (s-s) and on which, during movement of the actuator, the locking elements (70) are movable transversely to the closing direction (s-s) along a sliding block guide (60) in and out of an interlocking operative connection with the actuatable section (14a). The actuator is at the same time connected to at least one piston (18) of a piston-cylinder unit (17) for applying the closing force.

There are provided a mold clamping device and an injection molding machine including a guide mechanism which reliably prevents falling of a movable platen. The mold clamping device includes: a fixed platen fixed to a bed; a mold clamping housing configured to be slidable on the bed; a movable platen configured to be slidable on the bed between the fixed platen and the mold clamping housing; a plurality of tie-bars connecting the fixed platen and the mold clamping housing and penetrating the movable platen; a mold clamping mechanism provided between the mold clamping housing and the movable platen; a linear guide provided with the movable platen and configured to slide with respect to the bed; and a tie-bar guide bush provided with the movable platen and configured to slide with respect to the tie-bar.

In a mold clamping apparatus, a mold clamping mechanism is provided with a half nut, and a tie bar is provided with circumferential groove configured to meshed with the teeth of the half nut. A strong-force mold opening mechanism that opens molds at an initial stage of mold opening extends across a space separating a movable platen and the mold clamping mechanism and is connected to the movable platen and the mold clamping mechanism. The strong-force mold opening mechanism is set so as to have greater axial force and shorter stroke than those of a mold opening and closing mechanism. A control unit controls opening and closing of the half nut, controls the strong-force mold opening mechanism and controls the position of the half nut in such a way that the half nut is synchronized with the circumferential groove by the strong-force mold opening mechanism.

Provided is a molding machine including a mold opening/closing mechanism configured to move a movable platen to be attached with a movable mold to a stationary platen to be attached with a stationary mold, and a clamping mechanism to perform a clamping process, and is intended to suppress machine cost or ensure the mold opening/closing speed. The molding machine includes the mold opening/closing mechanism configured to move the movable platen to be attached with the movable mold to the stationary platen to be attached with the stationary mold, and the clamping mechanism configured to perform a clamping process. The mold opening/closing mechanism includes at least two ball screws, at least two electric motors that respectively drive the ball screws, and a ball screw nut into which each of the ball screws is inserted.

A mold-clamping machine includes a pressure receiving mount, a turn table mounted on the pressure receiving mount so as to be freely turnable, a movable mount placed at a position higher than the turn table, tie bars attached to and extending downwardly from the movable mount, and which pass completely through the pressure receiving mount and a traction mount. The mold-clamping machine clamps a metal mold by moving down the traction mount with reference to the pressure receiving mount. Each of the tie bars is freely movable up and down by each of first to third cylindrical guides provided at the pressure receiving mount. The second cylindrical guide and the third cylindrical guide each include a rectangular flange portion fastened to the pressure receiving mount, and respective attachment attitudes of the second cylindrical guide and the third cylindrical guide are adjustable.

An injection molding machine with an injection system and a clamping system. The injection system may include a removable injection module defining a portion of the material flow path. The injection module may include all of parts that come in contact with the material between the material source and the mold. The injection module may include a valve arrangement movable between a fill position to load the injection module with material and an inject position to eject material from the injection module into the mold. The actuators for the injection module may be supported on the machine rather than the injection module. The clamping system may include a platen linear actuator to open and close the mold, and a hydraulic clamping system to apply clamping force to the closed mold. The hydraulic clamping system may include a free-float valve manifold assembly that selectively places the hydraulic cylinders in free-float mode.

Provided is a half nut opening/closing device that makes it possible to easily secure engagement between a tie rod and a half nut even if the tie rod to be engaged is bent. The half nut opening/closing device according to the present invention includes a half nut including a half nut piece and a half nut piece that are moved between a closed position and an open position and engage with a tie rod at the closed position, and an alignment roller that is provided on one or both of the half nut piece and the half nut piece, and is configured to convert moving force, of that the half nut piece and the half nut piece move to the closed position, into upward force in a vertical direction to lift and align the tie rod.

An injection molding machine with an injection system and a clamping system. The injection system may include a removable injection module defining a portion of the material flow path. The injection module may include all of parts that come in contact with the material between the material source and the mold. The injection module may include a valve arrangement movable between a fill position to load the injection module with material and an inject position to eject material from the injection module into the mold. The actuators for the injection module may be supported on the machine rather than the injection module. The clamping system may include a platen linear actuator to open and close the mold, and a hydraulic clamping system to apply clamping force to the closed mold. The hydraulic clamping system may include a free-float valve manifold assembly that selectively places the hydraulic cylinders in free-float mode.

An injection foam molding machine of the invention includes: a movable mold platen; a fixed mold platen; a mold fastening hydraulic cylinder that is provided at each of four corners of both mold platens; a tie bar that is driven by the hydraulic cylinder to fasten the molds; two sets of mold opening and closing actuators that drive the movable mold platen to move close to or away from the fixed mold platen; two sets of dedicated core back devices; and a control device that controls the two sets of mold opening and closing actuators and the two sets of dedicated core back devices, wherein the control device includes a dedicated core back program that simultaneously controls the two sets of mold opening and closing actuators and the two sets of dedicated core back devices during a foaming core back operation of moving the movable mold platen away from the fixed mold platen.

A lock assembly for releasably coupling a platen to a tie bar of an injection molding machine includes first and second lock nut segments translatable in a transverse between locked and unlocked positions for respectively engaging and disengaging the tie bar, and a carrier assembly for coupling the lock nut segments to the platen. The carrier assembly provides a slide surface for slidably supporting the lock nut segments during the translation of the lock nut segments between the locked and unlocked positions, and the carrier assembly resiliently supports the slide surface for axial movement of the slide surface with the lock nut segments between an unloaded position in which the lock nut segments are spaced away from the platen by a clearance gap, and a loaded position in which the lock nut segments bear against the platen.